Fear Factory Top 10 Songs (Tour starts June 2nd!)

Fear Factory return to Australia in a fortnight’s time to play a batch of songs from their 2015 release, Genexus as well as a host of back catalogue tracks that “you” have selected! Yes, YOU! If you haven’t heard, you have the chance to hand pick some of the tracks that the industrial metal titans will be playing around Australia! Simply head to this link and fill in the form. You get three choices – so choose wisely, and who knows….maybe you’ll be hearing your favourite Fear Factory song played live.

With nine studio albums, a few compilations and B-sides as well as a host of remix songs and covers in the bands repertoire, Wall of Sound couldn’t resist from diving into the band’s discography and coming up with what we thought is their Top 10 tracks of all time! No mean feat considering the depth of songs in their history.

Fear Factory have of course showed Australia much love across their careers, having toured pretty much every album here, after first landing on our shores way back in 1993. Not only have they toured constantly to Australia, they have recorded a music video here (‘Cyberwaste’ was recorded in Fremantle, Western Australia, 2004), started a riot by cancelling some shows in Sydney 1996 (vocalist, Burton C.Bell was ill) and were recently cited by guitarist, Dino Cazares as having ’embraced Demanufacture first’, and hence the band played their iconic album in full around Australia for the first time in its entireity in 2013. Hell, Burton C.Bell even lived and worked in Perth for a short time before the band broke.

Having witnessed Fear Factory first hand during their incredible 2015 performances during Soundwave Festival – these shows are simply not to be missed!

Anyway – here’s our attempt at Fear Factory’s Top 10 songs of all time. Feel free to argue the point (kindly :)) over at our Facebook or Twitter pages and don’t forget to grab your tickets!

10.
‘Moment of Impact’ from Transgression 2005
Whilst the album itself suffered from poor production and mixed reviews, this track, despite it’s dodgy video is a straight out ‘banger’! The album was the last we’d see of Fear Factory stalwarts, Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers.

9.
‘Powershifter’ from Mechanize, 2009
This album saw the return of larger than life guitarist, Dino Cazares. A bludgeoning return from the band that appeared to be lost after Transgression. Thankfully a return to Fear Factory ‘beast’ mode and this first single is downright nasty with Bell’s stance, “You want war! You got war!” a crowd favourite.

8.
‘Scapegoat’ from Soul of a New Machine, 1993
Believed to be based on how Dino Cazares was wrongfully accused by the law, ‘Scapegoat’ from SOATM is a Fear Factory staple amongst their setlists since 1993 and rightfully so. The track has Bell reaching deep into his guttural vocal range.

7.
‘Shock’ from Obsolete, 1998
The lead single from the 1998 classic, Obsolete has literally destroyed pits since it was first aired live, with that scathing intro to the killer riff. Check out this version of the song, played live to Brisbane’s Big Day Out audience back in the day.

6.
‘Linchpin’ from Digimortal, 2001
Whilst a more melodic album that it’s predecessor, the single ‘Linchpin’ still gives goosebumps when played live – you simply want to pogo jump every time and when Bell kicks in with, “Can’t tear me apart”!….well, you know what to do!

5.
‘Replica’ from Demanufacture, 1995
Hard to believe this is 21 years old now! Simply one of the most damaging riffs of all time and when combined with those break neck beats and the dry lung martyr himself, Burton C.Bell kicking in with, ” I don’t want to live this way” on repeat this track is  without doubt one of the best.

4.
‘Smasher/Devourer’ from Obsolete, 1998
This one may surprise as a Top 5 selection but when that bridge comes with Bell breaking into those magic words, “I am the way, prepare for salvation”, it lifts this track to another level. An antagonist character from the concept album, Obsolete, it has character in meaning and in performance.

3.
‘Fear Campaign’ from Mechanize, 2010
With the ‘war on terror’, the media playing it’s part, ISIS, the world as it is at the moment, ‘Fear Campaign’ is one of the most compelling tracks in the Fear Factory vault. “Hate, war and terror”!

2.
‘Self Bias Resistor’ from Demanufacture, 1995
When people first heard Fear Factory it was more than likely via this track that received some air play via MTV Headbanger’s Ball back in 1995. The extreme riff and drumming has that patented ‘machine-gun’ vibe all over it. Simply brutal.

1.
‘Martyr’ from Soul of a New Machine, 1992
‘Suffer bastard’, the catch cry that has lived on through three decades of industrial metal mayhem. That killer break down, Bell’s death vocal to clean vocal, Cazares’ killer riff. ‘Suffer bastards’!

Plenty to argue about there! No Genexus tracks but we feel a few years down the track once those songs get played live, they’ll be plenty of votes going in for the likes of ‘Protomech’, ‘Soul Hacker’, Church of Execution’ etc.

Read our Genexus album review here
Hear our interview with Dino Cazares here

Check out our SPOTIFY setlist below to get you amped for these shows in the meantime!